Lockheed machinists union prepared to strike

[OhioChick]

Published on: 02/27/08

For the third time in six years, unionized machinists at Lockheed Martin Corp.'s Marietta plant — where the F-22 Raptor and C-130J are manufactured — are on the verge of a strike.

Representatives of the International Association of Machinists Union Local No. 709, along with officers from the unions at seven other Lockheed Martin plants, are meeting in California with company officials to see if an agreement can be worked out before then.

The current contract, ratified in 2005, expires Sunday at midnight.

Local No. 709, which represents 3,000 hourly Marietta workers in its collective bargaining group, recently took a preliminary vote — as is required — with 98 percent of members voting to strike.

"We are in negotiations and were very close to ending these negotiations," said John Crowdis, aerospace coordinator for the national IAM union, which is headquartered in Upper Marlboro, Md.

Crowdis is among those in California participating in the negotiations. He said the union could be presented with Lockheed's "last, best and final" offer as early as Thursday for review.

Union members at Lockheed plants in California, Mississippi, Florida, West Virginia and Georgia would then vote to ratify or reject it on Sunday. The voting is scheduled to begin at noon Eastern time. And while each location will vote on the same contract, one plant could ratify while another could reject, Crowdis said.

http://www.ajc.com/business/content/business/stories/2008/02/27/lockheed_0228.html